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Kael Firelight
We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) If it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them; but the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Origins Kael has offered very little history, even to those that have come to know him well. What is certain is that the young Magus surfaced late in 626 at the South Aegis Garrison, within only a few days of the Emperor's proclamation of the Shadow Amnesty. Bedraggled and wan, he presented himself to the garrison commander, demanding the Mage's Mark, and stepped into history as one of the first Freelanders to take advantage of the Emperor's benevolence. After a time spent wandering the roads and villages within the Aegis, the young man eventually found himself in Hawk's Aerie, where he has taken up residence in the employ of the head of the Leatherworker's Guild, one Alainne Woodsong. For several months he worked for and with her as a helper around the shop, and rumors persisted that they were 'stepping out' together - rumors that were eventually proved true. Outside the Aegis He embarked on the Expedition led by Count Thayndor Zahir in early 627, enlisted as a scout and woodsman for the party. He was among those that rediscovered Crown's Refuge and assisted in - so the stories go - lifting the siege, though he's stated repeatedly his part in these events was remarkably minor. The journey seemed to have changed him greatly, however - his wandering throughout Fastheld, once contained to Hawk's Aerie, East Leg, and Sweetwater Fields, expanded to encompass nearly the whole of the southern part of the area within the walls, especially Silkfeld and as far west as Mikin Road and the ruins of Light's Reach. In the few weeks following the return of the Expedition, Kael proved himself to be a remarkably different man than the one that left. Those that spoke with him in those days mentioned a young man searching for answers - or, as he himself put it, "lookin' fer th' questions I need t' ask t' find th' answers 'm lookin' for." In the midst of that search, he and Mistress Woodsong found themselves drifting apart. Rumor had them well done with each other within just a few weeks of the expedition's return, much to the relief of her neighbors and those who do business with her. Night's Edge Influenced heavily by revelations offered by Tshepsi, the Archmage of Crown's Refuge, and later by Serath Kahar, Prince of Fastheld, Kael found himself working with Celeste Mikin on the building of the new monastary at Night's Edge. With the slow gathering of Mages and those who believe in the cause of the Light and the symbol of the White Dragon, Kael found himself in an odd position. Not much more than a journeyman himself, he seemed to find other Marked who were in search of something more than simple existence, and came to the realization that meaning, whatever that is, is something the Marked will have to choose for themselves. He began to offer the idea, repeatedly, that what anyone becomes is predicated on the choices they make now - and being conscious of those choices, choosing rationally and with some idea to their consequence - allows someone to set their path rather than be ruled by their passions. A simple concept, but one perhaps important to those for whom passion and destruction often go hand-in-hand. As times darkened in Fastheld - Wildling attacks and errant mages just the tip of the proverbial spear - the once fairly naive freelander-mage lost a great deal of his innocence in things political and the nature of men. He learned at least part of the truth of power, and his idealism was somewhat damaged by the incessant press of the nobility upon it, even as his own abilities grew still greater and the Shadow's call stronger upon him. The Song Portal, the Edict, Mongooses, and Marriage A lucky chance and a lot of work actually resulted in a stroke of luck for the young mage; through a series of meetings, he eventually became quietly hired as a librarian for the Mongoose herself, the duchess Rowena Mikin. More janitor than custodian, the young man was set to clean that space - and found himself getting more and more lost in the words of the books filling the shelves, while his reading skills expanded prodigiously over months. For a very short time, the young man's existence, despite the brewing storm of Gale Frostwind and Tievel Seamel, became almost idyllic. Then the Regent acted, declaring that all Marked Magi would be rounded up and sent to the Shadow District 'for their own protection' in the face of external threat. And just like that, it all changed, events unfolding in rapid succession. In the wake of the Reagent's declaration, Kael and Meian found themselves involved in the opening of the Song Portal and then in the rediscovery of Crown's Refuge on the far side. As the time dragged on and the Emperor's Edict remained a sword hanging over the head of the Marked, and after the two mages and those who went with them returned from beyond the Wildlands, it slowly became more apparent that the fate of the Touched in Fastheld is far from determined. Resolved to face that uncertain future together, the two mages were wed at Night's Edge in early fall of 627. The Time of Northreach As the edict continued, the young mage found himself thrust into a web of politics and intrigue and Shadow that none could have predicted... though some came very close. With the slow ascendance of Gargoyles and Acarit in the wildlands, and with the stealing of children and the revelation of Zolor Zahir and the Regent's involvement in events, his faith in Fastheld was badly, badly shaken. As his mate went into the wild to face down an ancient evil reborn, he focused on working inside of Fastheld, trying to understand and help with the labyrinthine House politics that he had no hope of understanding, and staying in quiet defense of the city that stood in the shadow of the Aegis. It was a time of revelations, of coming to understand the limits of power and more ... the limitations of those who wielded it, the way ethical considerations are abandoned in the face of risk, and the - to him - bankruptcy of those tasked with guarding the Right. Recent Events With the abrupt ending of the Northreach Edict by the Syladris Amendment in early 628, coupled with the near-phyrric victory at Crown's Refuge just preceeding, the mage and his mate have found themselves free... and returning to Night's Edge to retake their position as caretakers of the Mikin's manor home. Yet, much remains uncertain despite the roads being open to the pair again. Kael's own burning need to act as conscience dictates has caused him to question both the Knights and the Ordinators - guardians of virtue that he views as largely guarding nothing, in this dark time - while the Zahir Regent's actions have led him to wonder about the future's possibilities. Yet, the call of 'home' is strong, abilities that tap the Shadow itself give him second thoughts, and the strength of his conviction, of his need to defend others, is challenged by his sister's standoffishness and the words of more than one Noble. The question now stands: how can one stand against the Shadow - and is that his place to act? As in all things, the questions continue to mount. Quotes What all o' ye think 's important - 't donnae make any sense t' me. Fightin' and killin' and dyin' - y' kin get a bellyful 'n ne'er be done wi' it. - on the expedition, in speaking to Katriana. I wi' be no man's dog. '' - on the expedition, to Ester Shardwood. ''Sh' says 'm 'good', somehow, 's though that word were a curse. I am nae, though. I see th' holes 'n my soul b'cause I try t' find 'em, t' stop 'em t' lessen th' Shadow whisperin' through 'em. 'Kill', 't says, 'n I donnae. 'Take', it says, an' I donnae. S' all I kin do sometimes t' keep m' temper from winnin' - an' I ken 't one day 't will. m' afraid o' that - more afraid o' that 'n I e'er wi' be o' sommat like /her/. - after the inquest at Night's Edge. I hae grown tired o' this thing th' call law - 't seems right enow, until y' realize th' is no Justice in 't. - To Fayed, in Crown's Refuge during the gathering of magi around Gale, and the lights in the sky. Kael looks then, to Thayndor. "aye. I do. An' wi' get worse, 'n worse, an' worse by'ond." He shrugs. "I donnae ken wildlin's, but I ken /bullies/. An' when y' get what y' want once? It get easier t' come back an' get 't again." He pauses, then adds, with pointed words. "I got tol' more 'n once that th' job y' noble lot hae 's t' /protect/ th' folks o' Fastheld. A man like ye, like Lucius? S' yer /role/, yer duty, t' die if y' hae to - 's what sets a soldier apart from a farmer, aye? Th' take th' safety o' others on themselves. Why woul' Fastheld give up e'en /one/ o' 'ts sons t' Shadow? When 's th' price too high t' pay? Fer me - 's one. One child stole out o' 's bed, dragged off t' who knows where fer who knows what reason, on th' flimsy promise o' a creature what hae wanted nothin' more than t' kill all o' us, s' far 's I ken." He /fumes/. "M' nae a noble. Jus' a wolf - but woul' spend me 'n Meian 'n Celeste - aye, n' ye too, t' protect one farmer from beasts like those - 'cause right, in th' end, 's /right/." - To Thayndor Zahir, after the stealing of children by Dark Wildlings from Northreach. Logs The Singing Insight Over Tea Campfire Tales: Stowynne Campfire Tales: Tomassa Check out Kael's relationship web! The player has an RP, philosophy, and Tech themed weblog called Standing Dragon. Badges Category:Chiaroscuro Characters Category:Caprice Web Category:Kallyn Lake Web Category:Book_of_the_White_Tree Category:Karell Mikin Web Category:Thayndor_Zahir_Web